31 Workers Rescued After Tunnel Collapse in Los Angeles; No Injuries Reported
Thirty-one workers were safely rescued after a tunnel partially collapsed in Wilmington, Los Angeles, on Wednesday night. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded quickly to the emergency inside the Los Angeles Effluent Outfall Tunnel—part of the $630.5 million Clearwater Project.
The collapse was reported around 8 p.m. near South Figueroa Street and Q Street. The workers were deep underground, nearly 6 miles inside the tunnel and about 450 feet below the surface. Emergency responders, including LAFD’s Urban Search and Rescue teams, were sent in to help.
The collapse happened as a tunnel boring machine was in operation. A large amount of dirt, estimated at over 15 feet high, blocked part of the tunnel. Workers had to climb over this soil mound to reach safety.
L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn confirmed all workers were rescued and had no visible injuries. Mayor Karen Bass praised the response, saying, “Thank you to our brave first responders. You are L.A.’s true heroes.”
According to LAFD Chief Villanueva, “A structural failure occurred 5 to 6 miles inside the tunnel. Workers made their way through debris before our teams assisted them out.”
The Clearwater Tunnel is a 7-mile-long, 18-foot-wide pipe meant to carry treated wastewater from the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant to the ocean. The tunnel is being built by Flatiron Dragados and replaces older systems from 1937 and 1958.
Rescue teams faced tough conditions due to the tunnel’s depth and distance from the entry point. Officials say the response was a major success, preventing a potential tragedy.
